I could tell I was going to be a fan of Treat right away. I love the logo!

Treat Cupcake Bar isn’t like other cupcake shops. Hence why it has the word “bar” in it. You actually build your own cupcakes.

I totally love this concept! First you pick your cake:

Then you pick your frosting:

Then you pick 3 toppings/treats:

There are lots of them!

They take your frosting and treat selections and mix them all together… It really reminded me of Cold Stone Creamery.

But I especially love how they serve your cupcake:

It felt like so much more fun than just being handed a cupcake. Kind of like being a kid again.

I chose the gold cupcake with buttercream frosting. My treats? I chose rainbow sprinkles, chocolate chips, and heath bar.

Heavenlyyyy. And so pretty too!

OMG yum! I absolutely love that Treat gives you way too much frosting (I had more left over that I couldn’t even fit on the cupcake). The cupcake was delightful. I have to say the vanilla cake was a bit too corn bread tasting (I prefer a sweeter, more vanilla cupcake taste), but the super sweet buttercream frosting balanced it out well.

If you’re not into the idea of designing your own cupcake, you can choose one of the premade ones as well. They add new flavors every day. I enjoyed that you could see right into Treat’s kitchen and actually watch them baking the cupcakes.

And the walls were so pretty and vibrantly painted.

Of course, you know which one I chose to take home. Anything with the words Peanut Butter and Overload in it has my vote. It was phenomenal (Chris and I split it the next day… we were too stuffed after eating our huge “homemade” cupcake that day).

I’m also a fan of Treat’s packaging, complete with napkin-wrapped fork.

I really do love a cupcake shop that knows how to brand well and Treat totally has it covered. Everything from the napkins to the little papers in the cupcake trays.

And check out the adorable aprons!

If I wasn’t so in love with my WANM apron (and OK, my Butterball apron, too), I would totally get one.

They also had t-shirts for sale.

My overall impression is that Treat is a cupcake shop that cannot be missed, if only for the super fun experience! It would be an amazingly fun place to have a birthday party (seriously, for all ages) or just pop in and make your own cupcake whenever you’re in the mood.

This would be a dangerous, dangerous place for me if I lived nearby. Thank goodness, it’s a drive away.

The prices weren’t too bad either. A make-your-own cupcake was $4.25, but it was absolutely huge with tons of frosting. And the pre-made cupcakes were $3.25.

Treat’s website is also beautiful. And I just got word from their Twitter account that they’ll be closed on Mondays until they can find another baker for the shop. Are you a cupcake baker? Know anyone? Treat looks like it would be an awesome place to work.

I can’t wait to treat myself to Treat again soon!

Treat Cupcake Bar

1450 Highland Avenue

Needham, MA 02494

781.444.4995

www.TreatCupcakeBar.com

Twitter: @TreatCupcake

[Sues]

I called the week before the meet-up and spoke with the owner, Cindy, who set aside a special VIP table for us under the greenhouse area of the restaurant, which was gorgeous. A perfect outdoor breeze swept by us the entire evening. And that great view of the Hancock Tower… and, later, the sunset didn’t hurt either.

Cindy and her husband, Aldo, arranged for a complimentary sampling of appetizers to be sent to our table. This was the perfect way to get the evening started and allowed the first-time Vlora diners to get a taste of what was to come.

Some favorites:
Pan Roasted Zucchini with Garlic Yogurt

Greek Peasant Salad: romaine, tomato, cucumber, kalamata, onion, red and yellow pepper, peperoncino, feta cheese

Grilled Octopus: tomato, cucumber (this was one of my favorites!)

Arancini Sicillani (Italian rice balls, mushroom and feta filling, fresh tomato and mint sauce)

Watermelon and Feta Tidbit: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley This is always a hit. Deliciously sweet, salty, smooth, and refreshing.

After we completed the round of appetizers we all placed orders for our entrees. I ended up getting the arancini because it is just that good.

What makes outstanding food, wine, and a Summer breeze even better? Good company, of course!

Erica of Itzy’s Kitchen and Naomi of OneFitFoodie.

The darling Alicia of The Clean Plate Club and Bridget from Yogurt and Berries.

Meg (the sister of Collen of The Daily Craic), Megan of Travel, Eat, Love, and Sues.

Us We are not Martha ladies with Elizabeth of On Tap for Today.

The whole gang!

The prices at Vlora are very reasonable, especially considering the quality and freshness of food you’re receiving, outstanding service, and that downtown Boston location. Another plus, the dishes are simple to share for group dining, so when I go, we typically order a variety of dishes which gives us the opportunity to taste a wider range of the menu.

Thank you so much to Cindy and Aldo for welcoming us into your restaurant and taking such good care of us! We will, of course, be back very soon for more!

———–

The most fitting words and description from the Vlora website:

The dishes reflect the age old adage of “eat better and live better.” With an emphasis on freshness and a minimalist cooking style, the naturally healthy menu covers tastes from the Northern Mediterranean region encompassing Albania, Greece, and Southern Italy. The menu and wine list are an extension of the flavors and dishes served in Aldo’s own home, including exclusive handpicked wines and lovingly prepared signature dishes that are unmatched within the city. Believing that food should taste like food, the natural tastes and flavors of the freshest ingredients are enhanced primarily with olive oil and fresh herbs.

No need to travel abroad – experience the Mediterranean, here, in Boston’s Copley Square.

Vlora Restaurant
545 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
www.vloraboston.com

[Chels]

Cambridge, of course, is right next to Boston and super easy to get to. But for some reason, I don’t get over there as much as I’d like to. It takes forever on public transportation and parking can be a bit tricky, so dining on the “other side of the river” doesn’t happen as much as I’d like it to. Because, heaven knows they have a TON of amazing restaurants.

The Taste of Cambridge was the perfect opportunity for us to try samplings many of them. And the Charles Hotel was the PERFECT place to hold an event like this.

The more of these types of events we go to, the better we get at navigating them. It’s seriously an art! There’s so much food and it’s easy to get really full, really quickly. We generally like to hit up the restaurants we haven’t yet had the chance to visit. We try to stay away from chains and we take it slowly and pace ourselves. And stay away from too much alcohol near the start of the event– Not only for obvious reasons, but because it’s seriously difficult to hold a plate and full drink, while trying to eat, take photos, and navigate the crowds!

Tory Row is one of those restaurants I’ve been hearing about forever, but have never stopped by. But when I tasted the chilled asparagus soup with poached lobster, I fell in love. It was thick and creamy with generous pieces of lobster. This would be a fabulous start to a meal and fitting that it was the first thing we indulged in for the evening.

As you can see, Tory Row serves breakfast 7 days a week, too. I kind of want to try the jalapeno chicken sausage.

Next up? We spotted lobster rolls from the West Side Lounge and I knew I couldn’t pass them by.

This was a pretty fabulous lobster roll! I have to say it was a tad bit salty, BUT I loved that it didn’t have a whole lot of mayo in it and was pretty much pure (and delicious) lobster meat.

And, we learned about West Side Lounge’s Monday night special. All summer long, you can get 2 lobster rolls, house-made chips, and slaw for only $12.95. Yes, $12.95! I definitely need to make it there very soon. Who’s coming?

And yes, the house-made chips were awesome.

Next up? Basha Cafe. I’ve been to Basha before, but it’s been a while and their offerings looked pretty tasty.

Chels and I split a beef kebab and some rice. I definitely could have eaten more, but I knew it would be smarter to save room. Guess I’ll have to return to Basha for more!

I’ve actually never heard of Amelias Trattoria and their dish looked quite interesting.

It was a type of arancini with basil, fontina cheese, and panko. I loved the presentation; it reminded me of something fun you’d get at the fair! It was delicious, but a tiny bit dry. However, I always remind myself it must be nearly impossible to cook food for events like this… SO much food that you have to transport. It can’t be nearly as good as it would be in the restaurant, hot from the kitchen!

Amelia’s menu looks pretty interesting, so I’d love to get there some time in the future.

Oh, Harvest. I’ve only had the pleasure of dining at Harvest once as an adult, but it was an amazing experience. And one that I’d like to repeat over and over again. I’ve been pretty obsessed with all things lamb lately, so I was immediately drawn to the lamb sausage slider.

Yup, it was awesome. In fact, I seriously wish I had a full-size sandwich for lunch right now. I highly recommend dining at Harvest if you want a really wonderful experience in Harvard Square. The restaurant is kind of tucked away, dimly lit, quiet, country-like and romantic. Basically everything I want after a crazy day in the city.

Right after Harvest, we headed to Bambara’s table, where I indulged in some sort of bruschetta with figs and proscuitto, which is pretty much a dream come true for me. I love the salty/sweet combination! I also noticed they have warm lobster sliders on the menu, making Bambara a future must for me.

Then we spotted Grafton Street! The first thing I said was, “there’s no way I could eat corn on the cob at an event like this.” And it’s true. I’m one of those brats who needs my corn cut off the cob for me (thanks Dad!). And if I chowed down last night? I wouldn’t have been able to smile for any photos.

But I still had to take a couple photos because Grafton Street is where Chris and I first met And so, it will always have a very special meaning to me. I think it’s our goal to go back for all our anniversaries.

Plus, the corn was just so pretty! And if the employees working the table had offered to cut it off the cob for me, I totally would have indulged.

From these photos, it doesn’t look like the Taste of Cambridge was too crowded, but it really was!

We spent a good amount of time hanging out with the lovely Julia Rappaport and her hilariously awesome friend Jon.

East Coast Grill is one restaurant I CANNOT even believe I still haven’t been to. My dad talks about it all the time as he’s a huge Chris Schlesinger fan and I’ve heard nothing but awesome things about it. I tried to make reservations for the restaurant’s last “Hell Night,” but they filled up amazingly fast, so I’m looking forward to making it to the next one (I hope!).

For now, I was content trying their pork tacos, which were pretty delicious and super flavorful. I could definitely eat a plate-full!

We were wandering by Hungry Mother’s peanut butter sorghum sandwich cookies and I had to grab one. OMG. These were like the Girl Scout’s Do-Si-Dos cookies, but about a million times better. And so satisfying. I NEED the recipe. Or I just have to go to Hungry Mother for a few more. Delicious!

Of course, we stopped by to see our good friends over at the How2Heroes table. I didn’t even take any photos of their beautiful dessert display because we were immediately bombarded by shots. Jello shots. Alcohol-free jello shots, at that. So, why was How2Heroes forcing jello shots upon us??

Well, they were 5-alarm ghost pepper jello shots. In case you don’t know, ghost peppers are otherwise known as the hottest peppers in existence. Not ones to turn down a challenge, Chels and I signed the waivers (yes, waivers!) and prepared to down the jello shots. How2Heroes took this shot of us looking thrilled (and semi-nervous) for the challenge:

OK, yeah, we were pretty nervous. And yes, I’m double fisting (Chris loves anything super spicy, so I grabbed one to take home for him). Thank you so much to Megan of Delicious Dishings for catching some fabulous action shots of us!

OK, let’s go!

Well we downed, part of them anyway. These were HOT. Like one of the hottest things I’ve ever eaten, and I love spice. But really, it was more of a pleasant type of hot… Which I’m obviously saying after the fact. Check out my expression in the below photo.

I guess that says it all. By “pleasant” I mean, it was kind of cinnamony-tasting. But our mouths were BURNING and Lynne kindly handed us frosting shots and milk. Yes, a good chaser for too hot jello shots is a frosting shot. Who knew? Now you do.

Now can I get my invitation to East Coast Grill’s Hell Night, please?

By the way, Julia’s friend Jon downed the entire shot without flinching. It made me feel like kind of a wuss.

We wandered around a bit more after that excitement and checked out a huge dessert display. The cupcakes from Lyndell’s looked absolutely scrumptious, but I was too full.

Too full for a cupcake? I can’t even believe I just said that. Kind of regretting it today.

But Chels did grab a super cute, super mini ice cream cone!

OK, I lied. I wasn’t too full when I saw the beautiful-looking strawberry rhubarb crisps from Henrietta’s Table– another Cambridge restaurant I really, really need to make it to.

Especially after hearing from Julia how delightful these desserts were.

We could not turn them down. And I’m SO glad we didn’t. This might just be the best “crisp” I’ve ever had. I wanted to snag the whole table. Even though I was incredibly full at this point.

I’ve always known that Cambridge has an absolutely wonderful dining scene, but last night proved it to me even more. And made me want to head across the river for dinner every night. We had so many amazing dishes and really, I’m not sure which restaurant I want to make my first stop!

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Cambridge?

[Sues]

Seriously. We consumed A LOT of beer. But not even close to everything the fest had to offer. Let’s be honest, there’s no way I could have tried all the beers I wanted to (I’d need a good 2 weeks and several gallons of water). But I’m going to tell you about a bunch of my favorites that I did get the chance to try.

I’ve been to Cambridge Brewing Co. a few times and have always loved their beer. But I never tried the Colonel. It’s definitely one I’ll be ordering the next time I’m there… It was almost a bit barley wine-ish (which I love!). I mean, how could I not be obsessed with a beer claiming to have “farmhouse funk”? Maybe that doesn’t sound appetizing to everyone, but to me? Heaven!

Pretty Things is one of my very favorite brewers (and local too!). I absolutely love Baby Tree and Fluffy White Rabbits, but had never tried Field Mouse’s Farewell, their goodbye to spring beer. I’m definitely a fan. I love that it’s described as being full of grains- “Rye, Oats, Wheat and Barley. Like what a mouse would eat.”

Pretty labels, delicious beer, and the best beer names… What’s not to love?

I feel like everyone is drinking Allagash White this year. Well, what about Allagash Black (Bourbon Barrel!!)? We were a little disappointed not to get the Fluxus 2010 chocolate stout, but this was an awesome substitute. It was still super chocolatey and a great beer to sip on and slowly enjoy.

Another one of my top brewers is Ommegang. I absolutely love their Three Philosophers and couldn’t bring myself to try something new at their booth. It had been a long time since I last had it and was dying for another sip. This beer has the fabulous combination of dark chocolate and cherry cordials. Yum!

Another longtime favorite brewer (and may have won for having the longest line that I saw on Saturday) is Dogfish Head.

I went for something I had never tried – My Antonia (also, an excellent book!). It’s described as a “continually-hopped imperial pilsner” and it’s actually way up there with my Dogfish Head favorites. Though not quite as high as the Sah’tea I first tried at last year’s Beer Fest.

I’ve never really been a huge fan of Rock Bottom Brewery as a restaurant. I guess it’s just that if I’m in that area, I’m going to go to one of the billion other amazing restaurants before I’m going to get chain-like food there. BUT they just introduced me to what might be my favorite beer EVER! Shocking, I know.

It’s called Cinco de Mayo Lager and it’s actually brewed with fresh jalapenos!!! Amazing! So, this beer isn’t for anyone, but if you’re a lover of all things spicy, you will be obsessed with this. All I could think about was getting a huge plate of nachos and sipping on this beer sitting somewhere in the sun. And being in absolute heaven.

Can this be bottled and sold?? Does Rock Bottom do that?? I don’t know, but they should. Actually, they need to because I can’t live without it!

Chris and I are here in love with with our newfound favorite beer!

Beth and Adam are enjoying some beer as well

But wait. Here’s another brewery I thought i knew everything about. Harpoon Brewery. But check out their summer beer. It has candied ginger in it!!! Hello. As you probably know, this is a dream come true for me. The beer they poured me was a tad bit warm, but if it had been colder, it would have been AMAZING.

Of course, you could put ginger on anything and I’d probably love it. But I just find it so refreshing and fabulous. Perfect for summer.

I’m super happy to have a beer with ginger!

Rogue Brewery is another long-time favorite of mine. I really, really wanted to try the Chipotle Ale listed in the book, but they didn’t have any when I got to their table. So, I settled for the Hazelnut Brown. But settled is the wrong word because I really, really enjoyed it. It almost tasted like dark iced hazelnut coffee, which is absolutely delicious.

Right when we got to Southern Tier’s booth, we ran into the lovely Elina of Healthy and Sane. It was great seeing her as always and isn’t her dress adorable??

I’m a long-time fan of Southern Tier Brewery and I love pretty much everything I’ve had from there. Ever.

But I never tried their Back Burner before. This was definitely one of my favorites of the day! Of course, I’m a sucker for barley wines and I could definitely see myself spending an evening with this. I can’t wait to get my hands on a bottle.

Chris and Adam enjoyed Southern Tier as well.

Cisco Brewery, in Nantucket, is a brewery I’ve known about and seen forever, but I don’t know if I’ve actually ever tried anything from them. It was fruity and summery and while it was lighter than beers I usually go for, I really enjoyed it.

From one island to another, Offshore Ale Co. is located in Martha’s Vineyard.

And they offered an awesome barley wine (do you see a theme here with me? When I’m given the opportunity to try new beers, I often go for the barley wine).

We made sure to stop by Goose Island’s booth since they’re from Chicago (Adam’s home and Beth’s for many years!). The Bourbon County Stout was another one of my favorites. This ACBF definitely helped me discover I have a love for bourbon beers.

Blue Hill Brewery had a watermelon beer that was right up there with 21st Amendment’s watermelon beer. In other words, so so good and absolutely perfect for sipping in the summer.

After we were done with all our tasting, we stopped for a photo opportunity! I love having such a fabulous family… and a brother-in-law who gets along so amazingly with my boyfriend.

We headed straight for the North End where Chris and Adam recreated the same exact photo they posed for last year.

By this point, were absolutely starving, so we stopped at Ristorante Fiore in the North End to get some appetizers. We had the Antipasto Rustico (and gobbled up the delicious cheese and meat before I even thought to snap a photo). The seafood platter was also out of this world. I could have eaten 4 of them myself. The roofdeck at Fiore is amazing and it was the perfect day to sit up there (almost a little too hot!).

Then we headed over to one of our favorite spots in the city, Giacomo’s! We had to wait over an hour in line (not the first time we’ve done it), but we were well-rewarded when we finally sat down. The fried calamari at Giacomo’s is to die for. Definitely some of the best in Boston.

I had one of the specials for my meal. It was lemon tagliatelle with shrimp, sundried tomatoes and escarole. The pasta was SO fresh. Actually the whole dish was. And I had plenty to take home with me.

Chris and Adam both had the lobster ravioli, which are a definite favorite.

And my sister had the lobster with homemade fusilli special.

Fabulous beer, awesome food, and the best people. What else could I ask for? A good night’s sleep. Which is exactly what I got when I got home from the crazy day. Sunday was definitely filled with relaxation, too. OK, and a Sassy Coworker cocktail and lamb sliders from Coolidge Corner’s Regal Beagle (both HIGHLY recommended!).

I’m always up for trying new beers, so tell me what your absolute favorites are and maybe I’ll pick some up to try this summer!

And don’t forget to book your appointment at Salon Marc Harris for a massage and/or facial. If you mention WANM, you get 20% off… You won’t regret it and you’ll feel like heaven for days after

[Sues]

Of course, I already had my favorite spots picked out in Oqunquit, but I still asked our Twitter followers for their advice. Not surprisingly, their favorites were pretty much the same as mine! It was a beautiful day on Saturday and Chris and I decided to drive right to Perkins Cove and have lunch at Barnacle Billy’s, an all-time favorite of mine.

(photo from Travel.Webshots.com/rainingviolets)

Everyone on Twitter was raving about their rum punch, so we made sure to order some right away. It was delicious! And just the thing for sitting on the deck in the sun.

I SO needed this day with how crazy my schedule has been lately (actually, I could use a whole week of it, but that will have to come another time)!

Now, we already had plans to go to my parents’ house for a lobster dinner that night, but we still couldn’t resist. I mean, we were in Maine, after all! Chris ordered a whole lobster.

And I ordered the lobster roll. Barnacle Billy’s SERIOUSLY has the best lobster roll I’ve ever had. OMG I am still dreaming about it as we speak. It was FILLED with fresh lobster meat, not too much mayo, and the bun was perfectly toasted. Everything about it was just heaven.

I’m sure the view (and the smell of the ocean) helped the food taste even better. We sat on the deck for a couple hours before heading out to explore more of Perkins’ Cove.

Of course, we made sure to walk the Marginal Way, one of my favorite parts of Ogunquit.

And spent a little time hanging out on the rocks. As kids, my sister and I were obsessed with climbing the Ogunquit rocks and finding all kinds of little sea creatures.

We also used to have our family Christmas photo taken on the Marginal Way every year. Ahhh memories.

We took some photos from the Perkins Cove drawbridge too.

I actually ended up putting my camera away for a while and forgetting about it. I wish I had taken more Perkins Cove photos, but in another way, it was SO nice to just enjoy the day and not be obsessed with documenting it. This place is most definitely stuck in my memory forever anyway

We HAD to stop at Perkins Cove Candies, which was my favorite place in the world as a kid. And it’s still pretty much the same these days We totally stocked up on candy!

(photo from Travel.Webshots.com/ltst1113)

On the way home, we also stopped at the Cliff House, which is where my family used to stay every year. These days it’s a hotel and spa and a bit fancier than it used to be.

But some of it still looked the same.

I’ve heard fabulous things about the spa and some day I will be able to afford a weekend away here. I love that it’s so close to Boston, but feels soo far away. A vacation that’s easy to get to is the best!

We obviously stopped at the Kittery Outlets on our way home from Maine. And then made our way to my parents’ house. Where we had… MORE lobster!!

Chris was on lobster overload… Actually, in my family we call it “lobster bliss” and it’s amazing. I’m pretty sure my cousin Tom coined that term

I also had my first corn of the season!

We hung out at my parents’ house to enjoy the sun from their deck much of the rest of the weekend and my mom made lobster salad the next day. 3 lobster meals in one weekend?!?! I was definitely in heaven!

My dad also made a non-lobster related meal, involving grilled asparagus, zucchini, and tomatoes.

Beautiful steak.

With my mom’s chocolate peanut butter cupcakes for dessert. My weekend was packed full of amazing food.

One of the funniest parts of the weekend? When we were leaving Boston Saturday morning, we came across this sign on Comm Ave:

How hilarious?!

My Memorial Day weekend was JUST what I needed. But now it’s Wednesday afternoon and I’m already ready for another getaway! Sigh. Anyone else feel this way? I love summer, but always feel like I’m so busy, sometimes I need to remind myself to stop and enjoy it. And not to stress out too much. I guess that’s what day trips and vacations are for!

My amazing lobster roll at Barnacle Billy’s has inspired me to go on a hunt for the best lobster roll in the Boston-area this summer. Do you have any favorites? It’s all I want to eat this summer!!

[Sues]

New cupcake shops are doing a good job at spreading out and one place that was in need of a shop was the Brighton area. Now? It’s here! Cherry Bomb Bakery opened last week and I took the 20 minute trek to check it out today. Right now I’m pretty obsessed with Mix Bakery (with a special place always in my heart for Party Favors), but of course I try every single new spot that comes my way.

Cherry Bomb Bakery is in Brighton Center, an area I don’t go to very often. But not because it’s not close; I can easily walk there– there’s just not a whole lot for me to do there. But now that there’s cupcake bakery, I might stop by the area more often, when a craving hits.

The shop is cute and I love their logo!

The inside was nice and spacious. They have free wifi and lots of tables, making it an ideal spot to hang out and do some work. They also have tons of coffees, so it’s not like you’ll have to sit there eating cupcakes all day! Which wouldn’t really be a bad thing.

I mean, check out their coffee menu:

But more importantly, of course, check out their cupcake menu:

Before I went to Cherry Bomb, I checked out their cupcake menu online and was thrilled to see the huge variety of fun flavors.

There were so many choices, it was really, really hard to decide. I really felt that I needed to try every single one.

But I only chose 5 (only!!). I did notice that Cherry Bomb doesn’t have labels on their boxes, which I definitely think they should change. I’m a huge fan of branding, and customized boxes can take your business so far. They also didn’t have bags, which meant I had to walk 20 minutes home in 90 degree weather carrying the big box, praying the cupcakes wouldn’t melt (and that nobody would attack me and steal them)!

After dinner and some American Idol watching (what did you think of the results???), Chris and I dug in.

The Cherry Bomb Signature. This is basically a vanilla cupcake with cherries baked in with cherry frosting. I have to say right now, Cherry Bombs cupcakes were some of the moistest cupcakes I’ve had in a very long time. Each and every one of them was perfectly moist and there was NO hint of dryness anywhere. I loved this cupcake and while the frosting was delicious, it was a little too sweet for me (the older I get, the less I can handle overly-sweet. Gah, I feel old!).

The Irish Car Bomb. Again, a really moist cupcake, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the flavor. I mean, there was nothing wrong with it, but Chris made the point that my Guinness cupcakes were much better (and I’m 99.9% sure he wasn’t just saying that). I thought the pretzel was a nice little touch, but the icing was quite boring.

Candied grapefruit. This is one of the most unique cupcakes I’ve ever had! I am a HUGE fan of grapefruit, so I was super excited to try this. And I loved it! I’m not the biggest fan of cream cheese frosting (weird, I know), but if you love it, I really think this frosting will taste absolutely amazing to you. This is one cupcake I would totally eat for breakfast.

Coconut. The girl behind the counter at Cherry Bomb recommended the coconut to me and being a sucker for all things coconut, I couldn’t turn it down. And it was definitely a fave! I just loved that it had tons of real coconut in it and didn’t taste artificial at all.

Peanut Butter. I liked this one too, mainly because it had some type of delicious chocolate fluffy frosting in it. The concoction in the middle is pretty, but it was kind of hard and probably not needed. Just the peanut butter cupcake with the chocolate would have been perfectly fine!

Overall, I think Cherry Bomb Bakery has tons of potential and is a much-needed addition to the Brighton Center area. The cupcake flavors are fun and always-changing, the shop is spacious , and the coffee flowing. Next time I definitely want to try some of their scones, especially the pesto prosciutto scone!

I hope that Cherry Bomb becomes a little more active on Twitter and works to get everyone excited with some marketing/PR. There’s nothing like showing potential customers how excited you are about the cupcakes you make.

I don’t think I’ll be able to resist trying all the other fun flavors, so I’ll most definitely be back! (hello, I’m already wondering how I missed the zucchini mint cake!?).

What’s your all-time favorite cupcake shop? And why is it your fave?

Cherry Bomb Bakery
379 Washington St.
Brighton Center 02135
@CBBakery

[Sues]

Here’s the thing about Healthworks. I’m not really a gym kinda gal but a few years ago I decided to suck it up and go on the hunt for my perfect gym. I was working downtown Boston and knew that Healthworks was around the corner from the office. I went in, went on a tour, fell in love and signed up immediately. So much for the “hunt”. The gym was gorgeous and didn’t smell like a typical gym (or boys, hehe) which is pretty much what sold it. The staff was all friendly, the club was so clean, and the locker rooms had flowers and spelled like a spa. Oh, and they had state of the art equipment and all that important stuff too So that’s my Healthworks story… I love the gym and what they stand for. It’s a judgement free zone and a place where women of all shapes and sizes are encouraged to be their best and be STRONG.

Last night Healthworks hosted one of my favorite blogger meet-ups! We all gathered at the Healthworks location in Back Bay for some light snacks (popchips, my favorite!), mocktails, and a spin class! I’d never taken spin before because it sort of intimidated me! I’d always walk by the dark rooms with music blasting and these ladies just cranking on the bikes! So when Judith, of Healthworks, told me they were thinking of doing spin for the blogger event I thought it was a great idea… It’s always nice to try something for the first time with a group of people you know and can have fun with!

There was a table set up with RIPE, my newest obsession…

… and popchips. An obsession that will last a lifetime.

We all headed to the locker rooms to get ready and put our stuff away before the spin class started. I’m so glad Alicia and Julie were there! Love when blogger friends turn into real friends!

Alicia and I starred and watched Julie fiddle with her key-card for a while before deciding to help her

The Back Bay location is 2 levels of cardio goodness…

We all met in the lobby before heading into the spin studio…

“Before” shot of all of us nice and clean. We refused to take an “after” photo of all of us dripping sweat. Not internet appropriate

Post workout coconut water thanks to Vita Coco!

Healthworks also has a full cafe featuring some healthy wraps, sandwiches, and salads!

And also a work station with some macs set up!

After the workout we all hit the showers to get ready for a night on the town at one of my favorite places to hang out, Alibi at the Liberty Hotel. I realized last night that I’ve actually been to Alibi three times in the past three weeks. Awesome. Quick side story about The Liberty Hotel… it used to be a historical prison and when they remodeled it the architecture and design teams kept a lot of the original parts of the prison in tact… which is why you see all the bars and other prison paraphernalia floating around! And they played on the prison idea by hanging celebrity mug shots all around Alibi, too! It’s fun!

Some more of the ladies who weren’t able to make it to the spin class met us out at the hotel so it was nice to see lots of familiar faces! I think there was close to 20 of us total!

This portion of the evening was sponsored by Double Cross Vodka and RIPE. They mixed their deliciousness to create three refreshing adult beverages for us ladies to try! A Strawberry Collins (which had basil, yum!), a Bloody Mary, and a muddled raspberry drink. Check out Double Cross Vodkas site for some interesting and creative cocktails!

Alicia’s in the clink!

And hello Bill Gates mug-shot!

The men from both RIPE and Double Cross spoke to us about the drinks they created for us, too!

And then there was food! Mozzarella, tomato and basil pizza…

Caprese Salad

Artichoke, prosciutto, and pear pizza

And tuna tartare. Check out all the drinks in the background HA! Thank goodness for cabs and public transportation, sheesh.

Kind of think whatever I burned off in that spin class I quickly gained back by eating and drinking so much… and it was worth every last bite and sip!

Since Sues is away I invited Kate to join in on the fun “Susie the Second” is what she is called in these situations

With the lovely ladies of Healthworks Hannah and Judith. They’re so much fun And I’m gonna assume Judith was the one making me laugh which required us to try the photo again

At the end of the night I dug through my completely awesome Siggis swag bag! In it I found a gift card to Healthworks for a 50 minute massage (YES!), popchips, a City Sports Boston t-shirt (I have a huge crush on City Sports!), Mad Hectic Oatmeal, a NUX sports bra, Siggis coupons, gift certificate valued at $65 for a spray tan at SkinHealth Centers (will be re-gifting this one, hehe), complimentary hair makeover from Rocks, Paper, Scissors Salon, along with some other fun stuff!

If any of you are interested in giving Healthworks a trial run they’re offering We are not Martha readers a special 3-Day Pass! Just click here and fill out your information to receive your pass! They have locations in Chesntnut Hill, Brookline, Boston, Cambridge, and Salem MA. Have fun!

Thanks so much to Judith, Hannah, and everyone else at Healthworks, RIPE, Double Cross Vodka and Alibi for putting on such a terrific event for some very grateful bloggers!

Happy Friday!

[Chels]

Uhhhh, who’s tried this before? I’ve been seeing IZZE Sparking Juice everywhere for a while and have been so curious about it but I typically buy water when I’m out to eat. I met Katie for lunch last week and saw the display of IZZE and figured I’d try something new. I ordered the sparkling grapefruit and it tasted exactly like pure grapefruit juice with a refreshing hint of sparkle. I LOVE grapefruits. Whenever I eat them I literally slurp the extra juice out of the bowl… I can never get enough of it. IZZE comes in all different fruity flavors. I think… better yet I know, I need to try pomegranate, clementine, and blueberry next! And once you finish the drink the glass bottles would make fun little vases

Nancy’s Air Field Cafe

My sister and I took our mom and grandmother to Nancy’s Air Field Cafe  for mother’s day brunch. My parents live in Stow and have been to Nancy’s a few times and really enjoyed it so we figured it would be a great local pick!

The cafe is definitely off the beaten path but very well known to all the locals ,which I love. I dig the hidden places It’s located at the Minute Man air field and serves unique and tasty options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

It was quite a windy day when we were there so there weren’t any planes flying in or out. My mom told us it’s really fun to eat there on a nice day to see all the flights entering and exiting!

Chef and owner Nancy McPherson is not only one of the friendliest people I’ve met in a long time but she’s big into using fresh and local ingredients and even has her own herb garden at the entrance of the restaurant. At the end of our meal she walked us out to give me a little tour of her gardens! I can only imagine how sweet it is to have your own herb garden… especially this size

As we entered the restaurant it was hopping! Apparently everyone and their mom (literally, hehe) decided to eat at Nancy’s this Mother’s day!

I started with a glass of fresh OJ… mmmm.

And we all split the Caprese Antipasto: grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & Nancy’s marinated olives in a fresh basil vinaigrette. Hello, tasty goodness! I definitely could have eaten this all by myself And I’d like a jar of these olives, please!

My mom, sister, and grandmother all ordered omelets…

And I ordered the Eggs Benedict. I thought the Hollandaise Sauce looked really thick but it was surprisingly nice and light. I ordered regular bacon instead of Canadian bacon on it as well Go figure!

We were all pretty full after our meals but decided dessert was a must since they sounded so good. I thought the Rhubarb Berry Crisp with Nancy’s Lavender Ice Cream was a must! This knocked my socks off! I’m not a big chocolate person at all… I definitely prefer a fruity dessert so this was perfect! The heat from the hot berries combined with the cool fragrant ice cream…. mmmmmm. I’m smiling now just thinking about it!

My mom and sister decided to get the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee which was also very delicious!

Smiling faces after a fun brunch with our lovely mom and gram

I’m really glad my parents moved out to Stow. I l will always love, love, love our hometown of Andover but Stow is such a sweet little town. It’s so New England and filled with apple orchards and farms, horses wandering and gorgeous views, trails and streams, and genuinely gracious people. It’s the perfect place to escape to and slow things down a bit

What are some of your favorite restaurants that are hidden gems?

Hope you’re all enjoying your weekends!

[Chels]

When I heard about the new Rock Paper Scissors Salon on Newbury Street, I was immediately interested. Their mission statement was EXACTLY what I wanted to hear: “We talk to every client about their look and their lifestyle before deciding what comes next. We want you to be the best version of you.” Every time I go into a salon, they say “what do you want?” I don’t know! I want you to tell me what will look good on me! Oh and “Happiness isn’t expensive so why should you pay a fortune to walk out the door happy? We hate not getting our money’s worth. We know when to splurge and where to save.” RPS believes in affordable services, so you can keep going back when you need/want to. So, I contacted the salon right away and when RPS saw WANM, they told me to come in to their newly opened salon and they’d be happy to show me what they’re all about (disclosure: RPS offered to do my hair complimentary, but I promise my readers I would never ever write about something I didn’t truly believe in… And I think the proof is in the pictures!).

Here I am before. My hair is BORING. My highlights are blah because it’s so freaking expensive to get them re-done every time I need to (and my hair grows fast!). I spend at least $250 every time I go to the salon and as a freelance writer, well, that’s just a big splurge for me that I can’t handle every couple, or even few months.

Rock Paper Scissors concept is EXACTLY for people like me. They want you to come in as often as you need to. That’s why their prices are lower than the typical salon. A haircut is $45. Which is super inexpensive for Newbury St. But what really got me was the prices for color. While I typically spend $175+ on my foils, RPS’s start at $70 and only go to $105. Single process color starts at $36. Can you say holy moly?!

The salon is located at 163 Newbury St. and I could tell I was going to like it, simply from the outside.

Inside the salon is fun and trendy… Definitely not stuffy at all. They have a sort of rock and roll theme, but it’s not overwhelming at all.

That bottom sign? It says “People do not care abut you as much as you think they do.” Which is generally very true. And a good thing to remember when you’re being overly-critical about yourself, especially when it comes to your appearance.

The colors of the salon are bright and cheery and I love the exposed brick!

Samantha was my stylist and is a “blonde specialist.” She actually spent a long time talking to me about what I wanted AND told me what she thought would look good on me. I brought in a photo to show her and she used it as “inspiration,” but wasn’t afraid to tell me what else she was thinking. I told her to run free as I trusted her pretty much right away (plus, her hairstyle was super cute!).

Even though Chels wasn’t getting her hair done, she came with me to my appointment because she was also super excited to check out RPS. And she took all the AMAZING photos. (btw BARF, look at my gross hair from the back!).

Anyway, we got started on the foils right away.

Getting foils is always such a weird experience! It seems so archaic, right?

After the foils were done, Sammy washed my hair and put toner on it. I’ve been to A LOT of salons, and I’ve never had any that have spent such care on this part of the process. Usually they wash my hair and that’s it. But I can already tell, a day later, how much a difference the toner made. When I got out of the shower this morning, my hair was SO soft, which was a nice change considering how dry it’s been lately.

My hair was super dry and unhealthy, so I definitely did not mind getting rid of quite a few inches. I let Sammy cut and cut and style and style.

And? I’m like a whole new person!

I always say I can tell a good stylist by what she does when you’re out of the chair and on the way out the door. Samantha kept looking at my hair, touching it, and eventually she made me sit back in the chair so she could do a few more finishing touches. She wanted it to be perfect and cared enough to make it that way. I love that.

My color is SO refreshed and my head actually feels so much lighter!

She also spent a lot of time showing me how to style it so I can actually do this on my own. And she even gave me tips for a more low-maintenance hairstyle so I don’t have to dry and straighten every day.

I’m obsessed with the back!

Chels took this lovely video of part of the process. Take a look if you like

The lovely salon manager, Tracey, and my stylist, Sammy. Thank you so much for everything, ladies!!

Needless to say, I am thrilled with my experience. And the fact that I got the Newbury St. salon experience, but at a much, much better price. Which means I can keep going and going and going. Seriously? I’m not going to cringe when I have to go back in 8 weeks because everything I got done will only run me $130 (!!!!!). At all other salons I’ve gone to (we’re talking OFF Newbury), my haircut and foils run me about $250+. So in case you don’t believe that I’m being totally honest here, I will definitely be going back to RPS and paying full price!

Giveaway!

One lucky We are not Martha reader is going to win a free haircut at Rock Paper Scissors Salon! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us why you need/want a new hairstyle by Friday, May 14, at 11:59 p.m. Get extra entries by tweeting about this giveaway or blogging about it (just make sure you let us know!).

But that’s not all. For all of our readers, if you call and schedule an appointment at RPS and let them know We are not Martha sent you, you’ll get a free haircut with any color service. Let me know because I might join you!

I’m seriously excited about Rock Paper Scissors and they came along at EXACTLY the right time. Earlier in the day, I actually sent out a tweet about how I needed to find a good salon. And later that afternoon RPS came along. I finally found “my salon.” And on Newbury Street, too! And? I can afford it!!

Rock Paper Scissors Salon
163 Newbury St.
Boston, MA 02116
617.236.6300
www.RPSSalon.com
Twitter: @RPSSalon

[Sues]

My friend Tarryn lives in the neighborhood and has been telling me about the antique market for a while now so last week I went with her. Each room seems to be separated by different dealers, time periods, and styles. I found so many things I wanted to buy but living in a city apartment doesn’t allow for lots of extra stuff so I tried to behave myself

I love old cigarette and cigar boxes… They make really unique storage solutions. I keep all of my electronic cables in them.

This dresser was gorgeous! I often struggle with what kind of style I prefer. I love modern clean lines, vintage accessories, graphic bold prints… it will definitely be interesting to see what kind of decorating I do when I buy a house… It will for sure be an eclectic mix!

There were lots of old cooking supplies as well. The quality of these rolling pins was out of this world. SO heavy. They don’t make things these days like they used to!

The jewelry case that I gawked in for a good while. There were lots of reasonably priced jewelry but some of it was pretty pricey since it was the real deal!

Oh.my.goodness. Vintage post cards from all over the world. These would be perfect framed.

Comic books, anyone?

License plates. I only saw Ohio plates, though!

Little piggy on wheels

These clutches and handbags were delicious. I held on to the gold one for a while but ended up putting it down. Self control, baby!

Land O’Lakes recipe box… mmm, butter

There was a room filled with old sporting equipment

I have a serious thing for vintage typewriters. They’re so interesting and intricate. The khaki and turquoise/green-ish color combo really caught my eye.

This world map cracked me up… it reminded me of elementary school. I think every teacher struggled with trying to get these maps to go back up haha.

Remember the jewelry drawer I made a couple months ago? These plates and bowls would have been absolutely perfect to use, too!

This was the 80s/90s section…

Tarryn found a Debbie Gibson book. Haaaaaaay!

I really wanted this necklace… my wallet did not.

Tarryn loves the hats! And always make sure to stop and smell the flowers

Paymaster Ribbon Writer… crazy how far technology has come!

An old railing from Fenway Park. Perfect for a diehahhhd Sox fan!

There were so many options for funky storage. These wooden boxes were so sturdy.

My dad definitely used to have this lamp in his old home office. I think when he got a new one I put this one on my desk in my bedroom… I felt so professional So funny to see it here!

Check out this old school waffle maker!

Hello, Ernie cookie jar

Down in the basement of the antique market were lots of large prints… they also do framing!

If you’re in the market for a new bike you must check this space out. The Cambridge Antique Market has a full service bike shop in the basement and you’re encouraged to take your bike for a spin outside before purchasing. There were so many colors and styles of bikes and the gentleman working in the shop was very knowledgeable! I really want a bike… a yellow or turquoise one, which I didn’t see so I’ll just have to go back soon!

I ended up buying a Ball glass jar in the prettiest color for my bathroom… I’m thinking of putting cotton balls in it.

I also bought this stretchy gold coin belt. I’ve been in the market for a good gold belt to wear around dresses and tunics. I think it was $18… Wahoo!

If you’re looking for other antique markets in the area definitely check out Annelise’s post on the Rowley Antique Market! Tarryn and I are also planning on going to the Brimfield Antique Show this July! So much eye candy, so little time

Happy Friday… and Happy Mother’s Day!

Cambridge Antique Market
201 Msgr. O’Brien Highway
Cambridge, MA
617.868.9655

[Chels]